The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for handling waste water and, more particularly, to a waste water diffuser that may prevent waste water from causing soil erosion, being discharged into a public storm water systems, sanitary sewers, or waterways.
When a person faces a task of getting rid of excess, unwanted water, for example water from a basement sump or water from a pool, the water is typically carried by a hose or pipe to be released. Often, a large release of water may cause soil erosion. To avoid this type of erosion, a person may opt to disburse the water into a public storm water system down their driveway into a street drain or a sanitary sewer system. These types of releases may be harmful to the environment and are illegal in many jurisdictions. This is especially true in the case of pool water, which may contain certain chemicals.
As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus for diffusing and distributing wastewater to avoid erosion and the delivery of wastewater into inappropriate channels. The present invention distributes wastewater quickly, yet at a slow enough rate to avoid erosion. Thus the wastewater can be discharged into a yard or field, which will absorb the water and yet not damage the yard or field. This is advantageous because erosion is avoided and water is disposed of with entering a public right of way or sewer system. Furthermore, the water can benefit local plants and the ground will act as a natural water purification system.
There is a superficial similarity between certain septic systems and certain irrigation system to the present invention. On closer inspection, the present invention is distinct from either an irrigation system or a septic system. The present invention specifically addresses the disposal of waste water from swimming pools and other containers of water that do not have a permanent waste water disposal system. The present invention is intended to be temporarily attached to a swimming pool, or other water container, and remove the water in a manner that is more convenient and more environmentally responsible that simply letting the water pour on to the ground, road, or sewer. At the same time, the present invention is only intended for use on water that can be disposed of on open ground. Water that is hazardous should not be used with the present invention.
The application by Hassett, Ser. No. 10/663,211, is a septic system that is distinct from the present invention. Hassett describes an improved septic system for disposing of sewage. As a person skilled in the art knows, sewage is both contaminated with solids and particulate matter and contaminated with biological pathogens. As Hassett describes, a functioning septic system must both remove these contaminates and disperse the wastewater into the ground in a manner that does not risk human contact. Failure of a septic system to achieve these goals is both dangerous to human health and illegal.
For this reason, the Hassett invention claims the placement of the invention into a drain field. Hassett describes as drain field as a SWIS, the SWIS (also called a leach field, drain field or infiltration trench. Hassett describes a SWIS as a soil absorption field, a soil absorption field, also known as a subsurface wastewater infiltration system. By definition, the SWIS is subsurface or below the ground. Thus the Hassett invention must be buried in order to include the drain field element.
On the other hand, the present invention is designed to be placed upon the ground and distribute water on top of the surface of the ground. In the present invention wastewater is ejected from the invention so that it flies up into the air and then falls back to earth in a manner that simulates rainfall. The purpose of this arrangement is that the wastewater is distributed over top the ground so that it does not cause erosion. It is meant to be used in situations where allowing the wastewater to exist the existing source will cause erosion because the force of the exiting water will damage the soil of the ground. The present invention reduces that force by launching the water into the air and allowing it fall back to the ground at a velocity and force that is similar or less than that of rain. As a person skilled in the art is aware that falling rain does not have enough force to cause erosion.
Furthermore, because the present invention is distributing the water in the open air, the water must be substantially free of solids, particulate matter, and pathogens before it enters the present invention. Solids and particulate matter will both clog the present invention and will reduce the pressure within the present invention to a level that will not eject the water into the air so that it can fall back to the ground to simulate rain fall. This will defeat the main advantage of this invention. And, unlike sewage, the wastewater placed within the present invention must also be substantially pathogen free, or operation of the present invention would be a danger to human health and illegal.
The Gilde patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,789, is another water treatment system that is constructed into a dirt mound. The mound is created from a surface area comprising a plurality of concentric annular terraces creating a series of annular ridges and valleys in said treatment zone, a water-tolerant grass crop growing on said terraces. Water is pumped on to the terraces by a conduit adapted for movement around said treatment zone that are adapted to be capable of delivering wastewater under pressure to said conduit, and means on said conduit for distributing a substantially uniform quantity of wastewater to the grass crop on each of said terraces. The present invention is not meant to be installed in the ground or constructed from earthworks. The present invention is distinct from the mound filtration system that Gilde describes.
An example of an irrigation system that is superficially similar to the present invention is the Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,705. The Hait invention is a rotary irrigation system that turns mechanically so that a power mover connected to the opposite end of some tubing to pivotally move tubing in a generally circular path around a source. The power mover is connected to a control means for intermittently actuating said power mover. The present invention is a non-mechanical means of removing wastewater. It does not rotate and is not intended to water a large field of corps. It is intended to be simple to manufacture and portable.
The Hewitt U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,076, is another irrigation system. The Hewitt invention is a device to collect and dispense roof rain water comprising a container to collect water having an opening; a pump to drive the water out of the container; a debris disposal mechanism; a sensor to measure the water level, wherein the pump is activated at a specific water level. It includes an electrical circuit to power the pump which is powered by a rechargeable battery pack; a solar panel connected to the electrical circuit to charge the rechargeable battery pack; a heating device to keep the water within the container from freezing. This invention collects water in a container and then stores it for distribution, even in freezing weather. The present invention is a means for the distribution, not a means of storage.
The Runyon invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,068, is another irrigation system. It is an apparatus for providing improved microbiotic and nutrient supplies to vegetation in a non-sterilized environment; which comprises vessels containing water slurries of an oxygen-generating first microorganism, a soil enhancing second microorganism, and enzymes and nutrients for the first and second microorganisms. It has a first conduit to convey supply water and said slurries into said at least one enhancement vessel and a second conduit means to convey the combined discharge slurry containing said concentrated first and second microorganisms from said enhancement vessel to said vegetation. The present invention only disposes of water. It does not add material to the water nor does it supply nutrients to plants.
The Hardison U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,500, is for a drip irrigation system. The Hardison invention, like all drip irrigation systems, envisions a branching set of tubes that distribute water to each plant individually. The present invention is a compact object that does not branch or divide. Furthermore, unlike a drip irrigation system that allows water to slowly dissipate, the present invention can accommodate many different levels of flow and is intended to distribute water reasonably quickly.